The first conference on the subject of “Khatme- Nubuwwah” in Africa is set to take place at CapeTown, South Africa from 1 November to 3 November 2008. The conference, jointly hosted by the International Khatme-Nubuwwah Movement and the Muslim Judicial Council will be addressed by leading international scholars from around the world as well as national scholars. The Qadiani sect is currently celebrating a century of its formation. In order to educate and inform the public about the menace of Qadianism, this conference is being held.

http://www.darulihsan.com/images/stories/news/hotel.png The home of today has become very much like a hotel. Strangers stumble in and out at odd hours, each one doing his own little thing. "The family" has now almost become just a fond memory. "The family" having meals together is a rare occasion.

Edinburgh, UK: A MONTH-LONG Islamic festival got under way in the city today with a special ceremony. The event at Edinburgh's Central Mosque, on Potterrow, was to be attended by council leader Jenny Dawe and Lothian and Borders chief constable David Strang.

Driven out of her home by a cruel stepmother, sister Shehnaaz went through a great test, finally seeing the light of Islam. She married an Aalim and found herself in the beautiful city of Madinah.Here she is interviewed by Sister Asmaa of Armughan Magazine in India. Read her moving interview. Though the article is long, it is worth the read.

Jenna Govan was born into an Australian family. Her parents divorced when she was young, and she grew up with her mother and younger brother. This small family went to church every Sunday until Govan was 10 years old. At first they used to go to the Seventh Day Adventist Church, later they went to the Baptist Church.

He first felt the urge to convert religions when listening to the rhetoric of hip-hop lyricists such as south Bronx native KRS-One and the fiery-tongued Chuck D of Public Enemy.

The rhythmic Islamic references in those seminal raps, mostly asides, caught his attention, he says, and inspired him to dig further.

And so the black kid born in Detroit and raised in the South did convert from a southern Baptist to a northern Muslim.

He's now a spokesman for Islamic causes of every shade.

Dawud Walid's search for spiritual direction saw him skipping from college to college as a 20-something until he read Malcolm X's best-selling autobiography. The work traces Malcolm X's journey from Michigan to Mecca.

Walid's journey, though of course less celebrated, is not too far off from that one.

The 35-year-old is just over a decade removed from his conversion to Islam, and just 3 1/2 years from his first hajj, or religious pilgrimage to Mecca. Yet he's swiftly becoming a powerful presence in U.S. Muslim leadership.

For two-plus years, Walid has been the executive director of the Michigan office of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) in Southfield; CAIR is headquartered in Washington, D.C., has 32 offices in the United States and Canada and is considered the leading civil rights group in the United States for Muslims.

Walid is everywhere, it seems. His eloquence and charisma have him speaking throughout metro Detroit and even nationwide, including appearances on CNN and C-SPAN.

In the spring, he was at Harvard University talking about the importance of getting out the black vote. This summer, he was on Free Press staffer Mitch Albom's radio show talking about a government raid of two Islamic charities, and in Kalamazoo speaking to thousands at a rally meant to promote diversity.

On Tuesday, he spoke before Hamtramck's City Council about an anti-racial profiling ordinance being voted on there.

He's tentatively scheduled to travel in October to Darfur in western Sudan with a delegation of African-American Muslim leaders from Detroit. The genocide-wracked region is all over Washington and Hollywood's geopolitical radar.

He speaks regularly at one of Detroit's largest mosques, Masjid Wali Muhammad, where he is an associate imam. The mosque was the first Nation of Islam temple in the country ever built, according to Walid.

"This job is 24-7," said Walid, a husband and a father of three, of his position with CAIR, which takes pride in highlighting potential injustices against practitioners of Islam in the United States. "There's never a break."

Walid is a moderate Muslim, but he doesn't like the term. He says mainstream tenants of the faith consider the religion inherently moderate.

Founded in 1994 by Sunni Palestinian immigrants, CAIR was initially perceived as more of a Sunni group. But the Michigan branch has made increased efforts to bridge the divide between the Sunnis and Shiites, which often spill blood in Iraq and elsewhere in the Middle East over their differences.

"Islam makes life easier, and it makes sense to me. In Islam, we have very clear directives and prohibitions," he said, pointing to the prohibitions against gambling and drinking as examples. "Having those frees the mind to contemplate other things."

For Walid, that means hours poring over books, often rereading them (recently, "King Leopold's Ghost," about the Belgian genocide in colonial Zaire, and "Emotional Intelligence," a book about alternatives to the IQ test). He listens to talk shows while at his desk at work or while driving between engagements, including those on which Muslims are often criticized.

"You may not agree with every perspective out there, but you always gain something small from listening to opposing views," said Walid.

It's a vision he says he lacked when he was young, though it was the diversity of his upbringing -- he recollects fondly the ethnically and racially mixed classrooms of his public school education in Richmond, Va. -- that grounded him firmly in moderate Islam.

He represents a swath of black American Muslims who've transitioned from the extremes of the Nation of Islam to the moderation of orthodox Islam over the past three decades, becoming part of America's growing and increasingly vocal Muslim minority.

"He represents the true image of a Muslim, which is always internationally tuned in," said Abdullah El-Amin, a 62-year-old African-American Muslim activist and Detroiter who also converted to Islam as a youth and has known Walid for years.

"Walid just naturally fits into that mold of Islam" that embraces diversity, El-Amin said. "He lives it and he believes in it, and he's doing a great job of bringing that part of the religion to life."

Najah Bazzy, a descendant of Middle Eastern Muslims and a Canton resident, recalls meeting Walid 8 years ago at a youth ministry and being taken by his enthusiasm.

"He's extremely media savvy," said Bazzy, 47 and a mother of four, who says she often finds herself sharing a podium with him at speaking engagements.

Bazzy, a Muslim, is the director of Zaman International, an interfaith charity that does work throughout metro Detroit. "He's a really good bridge builder between Sunnis and Shiites, too," she said.

But CAIR does have its detractors. The group has sometimes come under attack in recent years for its Muslim advocacy and criticized as being terrorist apologists.

Walid won't give out the names of his wife or children, and says he received credible death threats this summer. The FBI is investigating.

He sports a rounded, trim beard and looks vaguely reminiscent of darker-skinned Middle Eastern men. That makes him stick out as a target for anti-Muslim extremists, he admits.

"As an African American, I think we have to break out of the victim mentality -- and Muslims, too," he says.

"I don't think there's any contradiction between me being an American and me being a Muslim, either," said Walid, who says the assumption on that point is common. "I've been formed totally by the American experience."

A FORTY-FOUR-year-old Filipino who has been working in the country since 2005 converted to Islam yesterday.

The conversion ceremony took place at the residence of Hj Yussof Hj Zainal, in Kampong Lambak Kiri.

Adrina Gusi changed her name to Nur Irdina Abdullah, after declaring her faith through the Syahadah _ the Muslim declaration of the Oneness of God and the finality of the prophethood of Muhammad (Pbuh).

Nur means the light in Islam and Irdina can be translated to mean innocence, honour or modesty.

The conversion was conducted by a religious officer from the Islamic Dakwah Centre.

The owner of the house, Hj Yussof and his brother Hj Emran signed the form stating themselves as the official witnesses to the conversion.

Afterwards, a dzikir was held to bless the occasion and Nur Irdina was brought around the room to be sprinkled with perfumed Bunga Rampai and greeted by the guests as a new Muslimah.

In a brief interview with The Brunei Times, Nur Irdina said that she started developing an interest in Islam a decade ago after she separated from her husband.

Her then-husband was the son of a bishop in her village but was not religious and they never prayed, said Nur Irdina.

After the divorce, she began searching for a religion that would bring peace to her life.

"When I came to Brunei, I observed the situation here between the Muslims and Christians, it is different and I felt peaceful," she said, adding that back home, there were often conflicts between the two major religions.

"Here, you see the respect among (people)," she said.

"When I read the Shahadah, I felt so happy. It was the first time I have ever felt real happiness," she said.

She added: "Inside my heart, (the moment) I entered Islam, I feel that God was very near to me".

Her family back in the Philippines her brother and mother shared her joy in her newfound religion although they are still Christians.

One of Nur Irdina's sons has already expressed his desire to follow in his mother's footsteps."My son said to me (during a phonecall), 'If it's okay, I want to join (Islam) too'."

She will be leaving for home in October but has already made plans to return along with her sons and start a tailoring business in the country as a new member of the Muslim ummah.

The summer of 1981 was hot in Turkey -- one of the hottest by far, many told me. I arrived not knowing what to expect, and since I knew basically nothing of Islam, I was unaware that my first visit to the country would coincide with Ramadan (Ramazan in Turkish).

The purpose of my trip was to go to Konya and pay my respects at the tomb of Mevlana, the Sufi mystic, scholar and poet. I had been reading translations of his works for years and something resonated deep inside of me. Feeling it was time for a change in my life, I arrived looking for where life would lead me next.

The year before my journey I had met an elderly gentleman and his wife from Konya when they visited the United States to attend their son’s wedding. We felt an immediate warmth and closeness and they referred to me as their American daughter. Lovers of Mevlana themselves, they asked me to come and visit them in Konya, where they lived. How, I thought, could I pass up an opportunity like that? So, I quit my job in Texas and arrived on the heels of the military coup the previous fall. The country was still under martial law, with nighttime curfews in effect. I came with a touch of trepidation because the films “Midnight Express” and “Lawrence of Arabia” were the only films depicting Turks at that time. And Islam, well, I knew even less about that, except that Muslims in Iran were still holding American hostages. In spite of the misgivings of friends and family, I felt drawn to come to Turkey.

Since the couple I had come to see had a very small house and I did not want to impose, I stayed at a hotel near Mevlana’s tomb. Each day I would visit the tombs of Shems-i-Tabriz and Mevlana and then proceed to their tiny house nestled next to the cemetery walls. We spent the day talking about Mevlana and drinking endless glasses of tea. One day, though, Dede said: “Tomorrow is the first day of Ramazan, our month of fasting. You, of course, are not obliged to fast since you are not Muslim. But you might want to try fasting, to see how you feel. All religions have fasting. It is a way to purify your body, and to help you focus away from the material world. While fasting you learn to be more tolerant, more patient, and, inşallah, your faith will strengthen.” He then quoted from Mevlana: “The month of fasting has come, the emperor’s banner has arrived; withhold your hand from food, for the spirit’s table has arrived. The soul has escaped from separation and bound nature’s hands; the heart of error is defeated, and the army of faith has arrived. Fasting is our sacrifice, it is the life of our soul; let us sacrifice all our body, since the soul has arrived as guest.”

At the hotel I asked the desk clerk to have sahur delivered to me the following morning, and each morning I was there during the month. Surprised, he said: “But you are American. You are not Muslim. This is a very difficult thing you want to do. Inşallah you will benefit from it.” And so, each morning I ate before dawn, then went to visit the tombs and then to see Dede. The first couple of days were difficult, especially not being able to have any water in the heat. But soon I became used to it. One day, about halfway through the month, Dede decided that I should return to İstanbul and visit a friend of his there, explaining that there were more people in İstanbul who spoke English and who could answer my questions about Islam in more detail. I sadly took my leave of Konya, but knew that I would be returning again after Ramazan.

The bus to İstanbul left in the late afternoon. I knew that since I was traveling I was exempt from the fast for that day. I was surprised, however, when the bus pulled to the side of the road at sunset to allow passengers to share their iftar together. Men and women rose, pulling bags of food from the overhead storage bins and began passing back and forth up the aisle different tidbits to sample. An elderly woman sitting next to me made sure that I had a taste of everything that passed our way. Finally, the driver was satisfied that everyone had eaten their fill, and he started the bus on the journey again. I was very touched by the communal feeling of this particular iftar, with everyone joking, talking and sharing, even though most had never met before and would probably not see each other again.

After arriving in İstanbul I met with Dede’s friend, known to me simply as Efendi, who welcomed me like a long-lost family member into his bookstore near the Grand Bazaar. Each day I sat with Efendi in his bookshop, filled with questions that he answered through a translator. Before becoming a bookseller Efendi had been an imam, so any and all questions I had were patiently, and expertly resolved. I also read several books that he gave me that explained Islam, hadiths (saying of the Prophet Mohammed), and the prayers in great detail. Every evening, just before sunset, men and women would gather in the bookshop and then go together to a small mosque nearby. Sitting at tables in the mosque garden, everyone would wait in silence while men served the food -- dates, olives, home made soup, mounds of fragrant rice, tender bits of meat, and piles of pide, the tables were soon completely filled with food. Waiting for the ezan to signal the end of the fast, everyone waited, inhaling the rich aromas teasing the noses. After the main meal, desserts would arrive -- baklava, fresh fruits and pastries.

After the meal I would sit and talk with the women, listening and learning as I observed their roles within the group. Several were well educated and held professional jobs -- doctors, lawyers, professors, business women. Others were less well educated; some working outside the homes, some staying in the house tending to their families. In spite of the economic and social differences, all the women were equals here, and everyone treated each other with respect. A sense of camaraderie pervaded.

It was in this nurturing environment that I learned about Islam all through my first month of fasting. By the end of the month the fasting was relatively easy. After the studying I had done and the seemingly endless questions that were so patiently answered for me, I felt that I had in fact found what I had come looking for. At the end of the Ramazan Bayramı I went to see Efendi in his bookstore, sat before him, and embraced Islam, a religion that had seemed foreign and almost threatening just a few short weeks before. Thinking back on what had brought me to Turkey, I reflected on Mevlana’s words: “Why should I seek? I am the same as He. His essence speaks through me. I have been looking for myself.”

My name is Christopher Bohar, my Islamic name is Muhammad Al-Amin after Our Beloved Prophet (PBUH). I am a 17 year old Sunni Muslim from Pennsylvania. I had no real interest in any type of Religion or Philosophy until about 4 years ago. At this time I was in Middle School and obviously I felt the need to experiment with certain things. I don't know how it happened but I got involved with the wrong crowd, they were Satanists, not the kind who are Devil-Worshippers but the kind who believe they are their own Gods-more or less Humanists. Their Philosophy seemed to make so much sense and I became a Satanist. At first I had the false sense of power but then it became Hell! I felt empty inside and became depressed, my grades dropped in school and friends came and went which made me feel even worse than before! After over a year of this I converted to Christianity for the first time. Since it is a God-based Religion, I began to feel God in my Life but I still felt as if something was missing. I had seen all the hypocrisies that the Bible makes and I made a conscious decision that this could NOT be the True Word of God. I only spent maybe three or four months in the Christian Faith but I still could not grasp the idea of a "Trinity" so I dropped Christianity and fell back into hating God and fell back into Satanism. Then September 11th happened. This event horrifed me and when the Media said the hijackers were Muslims I became upset, I cursed Islam and God, and became extremely angry at everything Islam. After I calmed down which took two or three weeks I actually began to take an indepth study of Islam to get a feel for it's Beliefs and Practices. I studied Islam here and there for about two months after September 11th. I read the Quran on the Internet and I learned that Islam is what I was looking for all along! I learned that Islam is not a Religion of Violence or Terrorism but a Religion of Understanding, Peace, Love, and Harmony with God and others. Only a few days after Ramadhan began, I took the Shahada and dedicated myself to Islam and God and rejected my old Satanic Beliefs. I realized I was not my own God and I realized that God was definitetly real. Just looking at His Glorious Creation is enough to convince any True Thinker of that! I participated in Ramadhan and read the Quran front to back and began to read the Sunnah/Hadiths. What the Quran and the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) said made so much sense to me! Islam didn't judge me or condemn me like Christianity tends to do but it embraced me to become a better Muslim which was really inspiring to say the least! The Quran taught me the Value of performing Good Deeds and having Faith and Worshipping God without Partner. As my Faith grew I started making Da'wah (Preaching Islam) over the Internet (mostly to Christians) and I was surprised to learn how close-minded many were to Islam even though both Islam and Christianity have SO MUCH in common with one another! I have made it MY DUTY as a Muslim to get through to Christians to at least accept the fact that we Worship the same God. A God who has taught me and is teaching me His Ways and now I can honestly look forward to Paradise and even if we get depressed or downed we can always rely on God to bring us back up when necessary! All Praise is due to Allah for leading me to His True Religion!